Is he a Birdman or Camera’s father?

“People encouraged me in all aspects, especially my wife. I feel blessed at times. Be it as a camera technician or a service man to birds, I always have immense pleasure to do such things which will satisfy my soul”, says C Sekar who owns his “Camera house” in his apartment.

C Sekar is a normal man who lives in a rented apartment at Royapettah. Before 35 years, he came to Chennai and his instincts as a camera mechanic started emerge.  He finished his diploma in electronics and started working as a TV and VCR mechanic, then later he realised his passion of collecting vintage cameras.  Today, he has a collection of more than 4500 different cameras in his camera house. “I always have fond for cameras. I am happy that my passion turns out to be a business which is helping me in a financial way as of now. Often people from foreign countries would come and ask me to sell my precious cameras to them but I would deny always. Collecting the cameras is my passion which i always wanted to protect our digital history and so i refuse to sell them. Instead i will rent cameras for my earning purpose” he adds. Some of the college students visit his place to study camera at times.

Apart from being considered as a camera’s father, his love towards birds made him to create a sanctuary for parakeets in his terrace. Sekar doesn’t own any pet but he used to keep some food for crow, squirrel and pigeon at first. Then later at the time of tsunami in 2004, two parrots started to come for having the food which increased day by day where they occupied the place of other birds. When asking about this, he adds “It’s not a magic or luck. Maybe they migrate from a place to another they pass by here”.  Number of parakeets reaches his place differs from season to season. It is said that in summer, from 500 to 2000 parrots would visit his place and in winter, the count would go beyond 4000. Approximately, he spends 60kg of rice per day for birds itself, and he will keep them food starting from 4:30am-6am and 3pm till the sky becomes dark. “I might have missed my meal sometimes but these parrots have never missed a meal for the past 10 years” he says happily.

Being a great person, he still struggles to earn more for the benefits of parrots. “Many media people from channels, newspapers and websites have come and approached me for knowing about these works. They have collected all my stories and published in a different perspective. But none have helped me for building up the place in a financial way and even for food or giving any sponsor. This makes me feel disappointed in many ways. It would be privilege to have a support from Government” says Sekar who finishes his story manfully.